Current Grantees (2007)
General Fund
Appalachian Teen Leaders, Whitesburg, Kentucky, $4,000
Funding will provide youth leadership development and training opportunities and support for community projects and dialogue on injustices in the community.
Appalachian Women's Leadership Project, Hamlin, West Virginia, $7,500
The grant award will help build leadership skills in teens and young women through the Girls Resiliency Program, and will support the current Building Tolerance, Creating Change Project which will help participants develop an understanding of the mechanisms of oppression.
Appalshop, Whitesburg, Kentucky, $2,000
www.appalshop.org
Funds are for the "Thousand Kites" project – a continuation of the "Holler to the Hood" project, which uses art, culture, education, and media to address issues faced by communities impacted the prison industry. It will build networks and partnerships with rural prison communities and prisoners' home communities; and create a play script woven of songs, stories, poetry and letters to and from prisoners.
Big Creek People In Action, War, West Virginia, $10,000
www.bigcreekpeopleinaction.org
The grant supports three Young Leaders programs in the 6th poorest area in the US: (1) Education and Economic Opportunity to help access higher education, (2) Just and Democratic Communities to build leadership and citizenship skills, and (3) Leaders for Change addressing race and class issues.
Carpetbag Theatre, Knoxville, Tennessee, $2,000
www.carpetbag.org
Funding for this 37 year old African-American community arts company is for the project on Howard Armstrong, African- American -Appalachian musician and linguist. The project combines music and spoken word to bring the history and diverse culture of the region to communities in Central Appalachia.
Citizens for Police Review, Knoxville, Tennessee, $6,500
www.discoveret.org/cpr/
Grant support is for monitoring and documenting racism in the criminal justice system and efforts to use multi-media to assist community discussions and education about problems and solutions to criminal justice issues.
Clifford Project of Friends of Blackwater, Charleston, West Virginia, $7,500
www.jrclifford.org
Funding is for the J.R. Clifford education and history project in the schools and combating racism through making invisible history visible and through developing an African-American history curriculum for schools.
Clinch Coalition, Coeburn, Virginia, $10,000
www.clinchcoalition.net
Funding supports the High Knob Jefferson National Forest program to create alternatives to deforestation and promote and advocate for sustainable forest practices and economic development.
Clinchco Center of the Appalachian Women's Alliance, Clinchco, Virginia, $7,500
www.appalachianwomen.org
Support is for the Clinchco Center in rural Dickenson County which bridges black and white communities and addresses issues of education and isolation.
Coal River Mountain Watch, Whitesville, West Virginia, $6,000
www.crmw.net
Grant funds will help support the Healthy Communities: Environmental Protection in the Coalfields program to fight Mountain Top Removal mining, and to protect and monitor community health and destructive environmental practices.
Community Economic Development Network of East Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, $7,200
The grant supports a network of organizations through the African-American Task Force, the Latino Task Force, and the Rural Task Force. The Task Forces address issues such as the unwritten history of African Americans in East Tennessee, barriers to Spanish speaking citizens' participation in the community, and economic development in rural areas with high unemployment.
*Community Farm Alliance, Frankfort, Kentucky, $10,000
www.communityfarmalliance.org
Funds will support the "Farm to Community; Creating Healthy Farms, Healthy Economics" program in 3 Appalachian counties, and development of creative models for rural economic development strategies and connecting farmers with community and state markets.
Community House Cooperative, Newport, Tennessee, $7,500
www.easttncontact.org
Grant funds are for peer mediation and youth leadership programs especially related to substance abuse; and to continue the community information hub, implementing the Newport Community Network a storefront headquarters; and to expand the Tanner Tech-Media Center which is a critical tool for adult learning opportunities.
Community Shares of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, $7,500
www.communitysharestn.org
Grant support will help foster a strong and viable statewide network of social change organizations working in coalition with over 50 member groups building resources through tapping workplace payroll deductions. Work is also focused on workplace organizing and employer relations as well as leadership and membership development programs.
Community Shares of West Virginia, Charleston, West Virginia, $4,000
www.communityshareswv.org
Grant funding will support continued organizational and partnership development of social justice and environmental justice organizations to build a better state by increasing awareness of their work and securing stable funding through workplace giving campaigns.
Direct Action Welfare Group, Charleston, West Virginia, $8,000
www.wvdawg.org
Funds are to help develop advocacy skills for low-income people and others confronting the deep impacts of poverty and will help support partnerships in all 55 West Virginia counties with a teen information fair and youth training for the Family Leadership Conference. Other initiatives supported include Making Connections trainings, the Family First Conference, and Teen DAWG which offers training to teen parents.
East Tennessee Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth Project, Knoxville, Tennessee, $3,000
Grant funding will provide seed funding to help develop networks and information for the Youth-At-Risk initiative in rural counties and develop leaders and its organizational capacity to become a non-profit organization.
Highlander Research and Education Center, New Market, Tennessee, $5,000
www.highlandercenter.org
Funds are for continuation of the Multi-Lingual Capacity Building Project which provides training and workshops for social justice interpreters in Appalachia and the Southeast and in immigrant communities
In Praise of Mountain Women, Dungannon, Virginia, $7,500
www.mtnforum.org/calendar/events/0206ipoa.htm
Grant funding will provide resources for a regional gathering of rural and low- income Appalachian women: "Celebrating Our Home Place: This Land is Home to Me" which provides spaces and opportunities for women to connect out of isolation and focus on care of self and the earth.
Jubilee Project, Sneedville, Tennessee, $5,000
www.jubileeproject.holston.org
Funding will be used to support the Jubilee Cooperatives Assistance Project which works to preserve Appalachia's farm heritage, food traditions and crafts as major changes in traditional employment sources threaten communities; and will assist over 100 members to increase self-sufficiency and sustainability.
*Kentucky Coalition, London, Kentucky, $7,500
www.kftc.org
The grant is for the Voter Empowerment Project in Eastern Kentucky counties to develop leadership, facilitate voter education and registration, and provide honest information about national, state, and local policies and issues.
*Kentucky Jobs with Justice, Louisville, Kentucky, $5,000
www.kyjwj.org
This first time grant is awarded to build coalitions for Brown-Black Dialogue in Appalachian counties through workshops and trainings on civil and immigrant rights and to develop strategies and networks for workers.
Kingsport Citizens for a Cleaner Environment, Kingsport, Tennessee, $7,500
Grant funds will support the "Environmental Justice: Wishes and Wisdom" program which links youth from the African-American community with older adults to tour and improve environmental sites and public forums to train community members in environmental issues and advocacy related to chemical industry pollution.
Mountain State Action Center, Lewisburg, West Virginia, $4,000
This first time grant will support a leadership retreat among statewide disability advocates and organizations to address key policy issues of "handicapism" and civil rights, and to help build infrastructure for change.
New Empowerment for Women, Logan, West Virginia, $7,500
Grant funds will support the Mentoring Program for African-American high school young female and male leaders and will addresses educational inequalities, community history, and higher education opportunities.
Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, $7,500
www.stopthebombs.org
Funds support the campaign to halt production of nuclear weapons at the Y12 plant nuclear plant, and to educate and mobilize community action to help understand the economic impact of spending that could be supporting education, health care, housing, and economic development in poor and rural communities.
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Huntington, West Virginia, $7,500
www.ohvec.org
Support is for the "Appalachian Coalfields - Friends of the Mountain" program to protect against Mountain Top Removal (MTR) and resulting valley fill, and to expand outreach, leadership development, and activities in coalfield communities.
Owsley County Action Team, Booneville, KY, $10,000
www.maced.org/ocat-story.htm
This first time ACF grant will support broad-based economic and community development and youth leadership projects in the poorest county in Appalachia, The program will build on community assets and will change conditions that keep people in poverty.
Save Our Cumberland Mountains, Lake City, Tennessee, $10,000
www.socm.org
Support is for the Mountaintop Removal Organizing Project work to keep MTR out of Tennessee and expand the interpretation of the Clean Water Act through public and private meetings; partnering against MTR with churches, civic groups, and outdoors enthusiasts; mobilizing media attention and supporters; and amending new permitting and enforcement policies; and pressuring for a water quality policy blocking future MTR permits.
Solutions to Issues of Concern to Knoxvillians, Knoxville, Tennessee, $7,500
www.discoveret.org/solutions
Grant funds will aid the efforts of low and moderate income citizens to take action and focus on issues arising from the state Healthcare System cuts, Welfare Rights and Income Support policies, and local issues around access to affordable and safe housing.
South Central Educational Development, Bluefield, West Virginia, $7,500
www.scedwv.com
Funds will help expand outreach to hard-to-reach communities suffering from HIV. Community Mobilization and Empowerment teams will develop "Popular Opinion Leaders" from the African-American community to engage peers. Grant funds will also help support the Enhancement, Prevention and Technology Center which offers a computer lab to help HIV-positive persons research their conditions, and the "Sounds of Prevention" program will challenge youth to write songs and poetry about prevention education.
*Southerners on New Ground, Durham, North Carolina, $5,000
www.southernersonnewground.org
Grant funding supports organizing schools and leadership development for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender leaders and will use "think tanks" and technical support to create a network across race, gender, geography, culture, and sexuality and will assist with distribution of multimedia curriculum throughout Appalachia and the South.
*Tennesseans For Fair Taxation, Knoxville, Tennessee, $5,000
www.yourtax.org
Funds support expanding and strengthening Local Organizing Committees and workshops on tax reform to increase state funding for education and health care and reduce the high sales tax on food which burdens low and middle-income families.
*Tennessee Health Care Campaign, Nashville, Tennessee, $5,000
www.tenncare.org
This first time ACF grant will expand work into Appalachian counties through town hall meetings and advocacy for improved health care policies; building networks and awareness to expand health care for poor and uninsured people; and improving the quality of low- income health care.
Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Nashville, Tennessee, $5,000
www.tnimmigrant.org
Grant funds are for the East Tennessee Campaign work around Grassroots Civic Participation linking constituencies around shared issues, and engaging immigrant leaders in civic participation and understanding civil rights and to strengthen and unify immigrant communities.
Virginia Black Lung Association, Richlands, Virginia, $7,500
Grant funds for this long-term work will help support documentation of mine incidents and work sites so that "hot spots" can be aggressively addressed. Grassroots pressure to reform the Black Lung Benefits Program will be sustained through training, developing and pursuing local strategies and public education, monitoring black lung claims, and documenting younger workers with black lung and pulmonary fibrosis.
*Virginia Organizing Project, Charlottesville, VA, $10,000
www.virginia-organizing.org
Funding will facilitate the opening of a new Appalachian field office which will assist new and emerging groups as well as help long standing projects and organizations connect to statewide policy and networks and build support for statewide campaigns on issues affecting Appalachian areas.
West Virginia FREE, Charleston, West Virginia, $4,000
www.wvfree.org
Grant funds will help promote education and legislation around reproductive rights and women's health especially for rural teens. The statewide Emergency Contraception Project ("EC in the ER") will continue surveys of hospital and pharmacy practices, and when completed will yield a directory for young woman seeking contraceptive support – a critical tool for young women in rural areas with limited choice of pharmacies.
* Organizations based outside of the region are funded for their work in Central Appalachia.
Total General Fund Grantees: 38
Total Awarded: $243,700
Media Justice Initiative
Appalachian Institute for Media Justice /Appalshop, Whitesburg, Kentucky, $7,500
www.appalshop.org/ami
Grant funding is to develop a Media Toolkit for regional gatherings to explore with grassroots organizations the role of media in our society through popular education and other training.
Community Media Organizing Project Knoxville, Tennessee, $6,000
This multi-state Media Toolkit grant is to create a best practices media handbook generated by the six member groups and other organizations in the region and the South which will share media analysis, strategies and essential skills needed for media justice work.
Tennessee Health Care Campaign, Nashville, Tennessee, $5,000
www.tenncare.org
This Media Toolkit grant is to support upper East Tennessee volunteers developing and using a progressive framework to engage local media and to build skills for media work and analysis.
Center for Rural Strategies, Whitesburg, Kentucky and Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Huntington, West Virginia, $7,500
www.ruralstrategies.org
www.ohvec.org
Grant funding for this Community Media Collaboration grant supports a Community Reporter Network which will develop a network in low-income communities in southern West Virginia that will grow into a region- wide project to develop an alternative grassroots media.
Total Awarded: $26,000
Gay and Lesbian Initiative
East Tennessee Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth Project, Knoxville, Tennessee, $2,000
for organizational and leadership development
Total Awarded: $2,000
Seize the Moment Fund
Community House Cooperative, Newport, Tennessee for participation in the "Realizing the Dream" Summit, $100
www.easttncontact.org
Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Oak Ridge, Tennessee for training and education community convergence, $200
www.stopthebombs.org
Total Awarded: $300
Technical Assistance Program
ACLU of West Virginia, Charleston, West Virginia for grant writing training, $420
www.aclu-wv.org
Appalachian Coalition for Just and Sustainable Communities, Boone, North Carolina for the Kentucky coalfields delegation to the United Nations, $500
www.appcoalition.org
Buckhorn Child and Family Services, Buckhorn, Kentucky, for community focus meetings, $500
www.buckhorn.org
Carpetbag Theatre, Knoxville, Tennessee for organizing the East Tennessee Youth Forum, $500
www.carpetbag.org
Clay County Communications/WYAP Radio, Clay, West Virginia, for volunteer training, $250
www.wyap.com
Community Economic Development Network of East Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee for Dismantling Racism Workshop, $200
Community House Cooperative, Newport, Tennessee, for participation in the "Realizing the Dream" Summit, $200
www.easttncontact.org
Direct Action Welfare Group, Charleston, West Virginia, for attending the Progressive Technology Camp, $450
www.wvdawg.org
East Tennessee Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth Project, Knoxville, Tennessee for organizational planning, $500
Estill Development Alliance, Irvine, Kentucky, to attend leadership school, $875
www.estillcountyky.net
Kentucky Environmental Foundation, Berea, Kentucky for a multi- state Environmental Justice Tour, $600
National Poultry Justice Alliance, Austin, Texas, for organizational development work in Central Appalachia, $500
www.npja.org
Tennessee Clean Water Network, Knoxville, Tennessee, for Undoing Racism Training, $200
www.tcwn.org
Total Technical Assistance Grantees: 13
Total Awarded: $5,695
Special Initiative Grant
Appalachian Citizens Law Center – Mine Safety Project, Prestonsburg, Kentucky, $25,000
www.appalachianlawcenter.org
Grant funding supports this special project committed to making coal mines safer places to work and ensuring that miners do not have to choose between work that threatens their life and limbs and no work at all. The project provides a voice for miners in legal arenas and in advocating for state and federal policy reform for mine safety.
Donor-Advised Grant Programs:
Hearthstone Fund
Peace Education Project, Louisville, Kentucky for work with children and teenagers in non-violent resolution and diversity training, $1,000
Total Awarded: $1,000
GRAND TOTAL FOR 2007 GRANTMAKING:
Total Number of Grants: 60
Total Amount Awarded: $303,695
